Air Pollution

This year World Environment Day’s theme is #BeatAirPollution and is being hosted by China.
The World Environment Day is a UN Environment-led global event, which takes place on June
5th every year and is celebrated by thousands of countries worldwide. Last year, India hosted the
World Environment Day in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to eliminate all
single-use plastic in the country by 2022. China has demonstrated tremendous leadership in
tackling air pollution domestically. It can now help spur the world to greater action.

According to a new UN report on air pollution in the Asia-Pacific region, implementing 25

technology policies could see up to 20 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide and 45 per cent
reduction in methane emissions globally, leading to a third of a degree Celsius saving of global
warming. According to World Economic Forum, air pollution, caused largely by burning fossil
fuels, is cutting global life expectancy by an average of 1.8 years per person, making it the
world’s top killer. Research at The University of Chicago’s Air Quality Life Index (AQLI)
shows people in parts of India, could live 11 years less due to high levels of air pollution.
Researchers at MIT have discovered that air pollution in China’s cities may be contributing to
low levels of happiness amongst the country’s urban population. Research has previously also
shown that air pollution is damaging to health, cognitive performance, labor productivity, and
educational outcomes. Along with this, air pollution also has a broader impact on people’s social
lives and behavior

Ordinarily, the solutions to air pollution have focused on establishing a mix of technological
solutions, regulations and policies, and encouraging behavioral change. But just talking about air
pollution is not enough. Efforts need to comprise of collective will and adoption of sustainable
practices at both the individual and state, national or district level. From the management and
governance point of view, a lot needs to get solved and understood about sustainability trends so
that policies are more effective in the real world. A reasonable starting point might be to
encourage better enforcement of the laws that are already on paper. Making all regulatory data
on industrial air pollution transparent and publicly available could be an important part of the
solution.As much as anti-pollution laws are established and technological advancements
progressively aim at minimizing air pollution, it is not just enough. Awareness creation is the
number one factor to consider because it will make people realize and understand the sources
and effects of air pollution. From this point, it makes it easier for people to take personal or
collective initiatives to reduce air pollution.

As previously witnessed, it takes serious tragedies to occur like the Chernobyl catastrophe for
actions to be taken. Nevertheless, raising awareness through campaigns and advocacy can
significantly address such situations from happening in the first place. It can simply be done
through an educative process that helps people realize the causes and effects of air pollution. In
any case, people contribute to air pollution in multiple ways without even knowing. By raising
awareness, it can help minimize the causes of air pollution.

Make an artwork for :

What can I do?

1. Reduce the usage of cars

2. Switching to renewable and clean energy
3. Walk, bike or public transportation
4. Switch to stoves rather than fuelwood
5. Reduce - Reuse-Recycle
6. Consume only what is needed and choose sustainable products
7. Grow your own food
8. Plant trees
9. Use natural products
10. Switch off appliances when not in use
11. Use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products whenever possible.

This World Environment Day let’s pledge to take efforts to provide a healthy and breathable
environment for our current and future generations. Plant and Greet with Trees through Grow-
Trees to make a change happen in the pollution levels through trees.